The present invention relates to a printer having a freely accessible printer frame and more particularly to a printer having a housing base, a housing top, a holding device disposed in the housing base, and a printer frame being pivotally mounted on the holding device wherein the housing top includes a housing flap being pivotally mounted on the housing base so that the housing top can support the printer frame when it is pivoted away from the housing base.
To provide an easily serviceable and maintainable printer, for example an ink jet printer, both the printer frame and flat electronic modules of the printer should be installed in a printer housing, for example made of plastic, in a manner which makes assembly and service as easy as possible. A flat electronic module is understood to mean a printed circuit board or card used for power supply and for printer function control. This flat electronic module is normally disposed in the printer frame and has electronic components assembled on it. In the following, a "printer frame" refers to a seat and support frame for mechanical and electrical modules of the printer. The mechanical and electrical modules include, for example, a printer carriage, a platen, a gear mechanism, a stepper motor, etc.
One possible way of installing the printer frame is to insert it into a trough-shaped housing base via rubber buffers. However, when this installation is used, the circuit boards, which are preferably attached at the bottom of the printer frame, are not easily accessible for assembly, service and inspection.
Another possible way of installing the printer frame is known from the Siemens overview description for a teletypewriter 1000 S dated October 1979 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference). In this overview description, the teletypewriter is shown in a service position on page 3-1. A printer frame pivoted away from the housing base, supported by a support element, is characteristic for the service position. Because the printer frame is pivoted away, a circuit board located on the housing base, with electronic components assembled on it, is easily accessible for assembly and maintenance work.
Further printers of the stated type are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,852 and DE-GM 81 06 810.
The present invention provides a printer which is easy to assemble and to service, both for a printer frame and for circuit boards.